Improvement in school-desks



J. S. RANKIN. School-Desk..

No. 211,521. Y Pa1en1edx1an. 21,1819,

Attorney.;

UNITED STATES PATENT CJEEICE JAMES S. RANKIN, OF MUSKODA, MINNESOTA.

IMPROVEMENT IN SCHOOL-DESKS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N0. 211,521, dated January 21, 1879; application filed April 20, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES S. RANKIN, of Muskoda, in the count-y of Clay and State of Minnesota, have invented a new and valuable Improvement in School-Desks, and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation ofthe same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon.

The nature of my invention consists in the construction and arrangement of a schooldesk, forth. f

In order to enable others skilled inv the art to which my invention appertains to. make and use the same, I will now proceed ,to describe its construction and operation, referring to the annexed' drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation, and Fig. 2 a rear view, of a row of desks embodying my invention.

A represents the desk-top of the improved school-desk,permanently secured on top of two centrallylocated standards or supports, B B, which extend a suitable distance in rear of the desk-top, and said top extending beyond the sides of the supports or standards sufficiently far for one pupil on each side, as shown.

C represents a beam, which is placed in proper position on the iioor E, and fastened.

securely by lag-bolts a a, going through the loorin g and generally into the j oists. In place of such bolts a number of large wood-screws iflllay be used for fastening the beam to the oor.

The desks are then placed over the beam C, the standards or supports fitting against the sides of the beam and resting on the door, and fastened to the beam by screws 1) ou -both sides. Triangular or hollowed-out cleats D D are then placed along each side and fastened to the desk and to the tloor with wood-screws d.

Between the two standards B B are two book-shelves, F F, for school-books, and under each end of the top A is another shelf, F', for slate and atlas.

In rear of each desk, and attached to the as will be hereinafter more fully/setv same supports, is a cross-bar, G, on each end ports I I, made of suitable wood or metal, and

these supports or standards are made adjustable by passing them through mortises in the chair-seat and held by set-screws c c, or they may be adjusted and held by any other suitable means.

In the lower portion of one or both of the supports B of each desk is a door, L, leading into a receptacle, M, below the lower bookshelf F, between the supports or standards, which space can thus be utilized to receive dinner-buckets, overshoes, &c., or for other similar purposes.

By this construction of the school-desk easy access is had to the seats, and the sweeping of the door is greatly facilitated by the removal of the usual end supports to a position near the center.

The slate and atlas shelves F are only from one to two inches below the top A, and hence leave suilicient room for the limbs of the pupils, so as to render it impossible for them to work their knees and lift up the desk from the floor.

The separation ot' the two pupils of a double desk in the manner described gives to this arrangement one of the chief advantages claimed for the single-desk system.

By the use of chair-seats with elastic backs adjustable, as described, the supports may be made to t under the shoulder-blades, and be so arranged that no hard points or surfaces shall touch the spinal column.

The chair-backs do not slant, but are perpendicular to the seat, which is thrown up to the proper angle, and hence the back of the pupil is supported in an erect and natural position, and all necessity for, and all temptation to, a Crouching or bumped-up position is removed.

yI am aware that it is not new in schooldesks to use two wooden bars or beams located parallel to each other at a short distance apart, and arranged centrally along the series of desks and secured to them; hence I do not claim such as my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention,

what I claim as new, and desire to secure by In testimony that I claim the above I have Letters Patent, shereunto subscribed my name in the presence The school-desk A, supported upon two sepof two witnesses.

arated and partitioned standards, B B,w11eh J. S. RANKIN.

are bolted to the floor, as described, and di- Vitnesses:

vide the desk to form spaces for two scholars, LEWIS MAISH,

as set forth. GIL/Is. O. IIASHOW. 

